


The Best Is Yet To Come

by AlmostLucy



Series: The Best Is Yet To Come [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Bittersweet, Character Development, Developing Relationship, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, Failed RinTori?, Fluff and Smut, Forgiveness, M/M, Mainly SouTori/SouAi, Personal Growth, Sexual Content, Slightly RinHaru
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-02-25 17:46:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2630708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmostLucy/pseuds/AlmostLucy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nitori had a relationship with Rin, or so he thought. He can't help but notice how things have changed, and it's time to accept reality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Love is a Lie

Gazing out of the window, the clock ticked a couple of hours past midnight. No sign or shadow of him. Nitori could not believe how much a single person could impact someone’s life. It was even harder to conceive that the same being that made his heart race, enlighten his days and make him feel beloved, could also cause him to break down without a word and cry himself to sleep with just a cold stare.

It had all begun several months ago after gathering as much confidence as he could, when Nitori dared confess his feelings to his senpai. Between stutters and fidgeting fingers, he had managed to pour out his heart and tell Rin how much he loved him, even if he was no more than an annoying shadow to him. Nitori did not even expect an answer, but the unimaginable happened when Rin took a hold of his hand before he could escape and he pulled him into a deep kiss as a reply.  
Butterflies started to wake inside him, tickling and creeping a smile into his face with just remembering that dreamy day. He sincerely believed it had been the happiest day of his life.

Their first month together was not that different from before. Rin was usually so fixated on swimming and training to beat Haru that he tended to forget about Nitori. However, his faithful kouhai remained by his side at all times. They trained and studied together without a complaint. The smaller boy fully understood that his boyfriend had some unsettled matters that he could not help with and he did not desire to get in the way. It was true that at times Nitori felt a bit lonely with the lack of affection from Rin, but he could bear with it in hopes that he would eventually open up to him.

Nitori and Rin’s relationship remained a secret for obvious reasons, but behind closed doors Rin allowed him to be more intimate. Although there had never been an ‘I love you’ or anything similar from Rin, and they had not actually had a real date or such, it did not take long until things turned physical. Nitori accepted his advances, of course, and embraced him fully. Surprisingly enough, Rin was rather gentle and passionate, and their first time together had been just perfect. There had even been some cuddling afterwards and sweet words that made Nitori drown in a pool of love. Ai could sense his boyfriend become slightly more demonstrative towards him.

Things had been like a roller coaster with Rin’s ups and downs. He allowed himself to be gentle to Nitori and then he suddenly turned as harsh as usual when something happened with Haru, until they both managed to make up at the relay and his bond with the Iwatobis was mended. That moment had been a turning point for their relationship, as Rin changed completely. He became the most loving partner he could ever dream of. Rin smiled and laughed, he told him how great he was for supporting him through the worst, he reminded him the great friend and person he was and how much he appreciated him for that; he even started to call him by his first name in a loving gesture. Nitori had finally obtained what he most desired.

The twinkle in Nitori’s eyes, his effort to become greater at swimming and his general studies. He aimed to become a better person just for Rin, it was all for him. The little boy trembled in joy every time his senpai praised him, when he patted his head and smiled while calling his name. Those little things were the best to him, which made him grow to love Rin even more. They had started to go out more often, spend some quality time together on their own or with the Iwatobis. It all felt amazing, it was all too perfect.

Unfortunately, it did not last long. Slowly, he could feel him starting to drift away. Sure, he seemed happy, but it appeared that his happiness had another source. He became less and less attentive as his hangouts with Haru multiplied. It all came to the point where there was no day they would miss each other and Nitori had started to feel like a shadow once more. He could feel those smiles and laughs were not for him anymore, and no matter how much he tried, he could not change it. There was nothing he could do as the abysm between them kept growing at a fast rate.

It started with little things, such as late text replies because he was distracted. Rin then started to miss his calls and got back to the room late at night without making a sound. They stopped doing many things together, and Rin barely touched him anymore. Nitori tried to convince himself he was being too paranoid and clingy, but whenever they were together Rin wouldn’t take his eyes off the phone.

To top it all, Rin and Nitori stopped sharing rooms. It had been a huge blow for Nitori, though it didn’t seem like a big deal for his senpai.

If it was not Haru, Rin was always around Sousuke. He would not admit it, but Nitori was jealous of his new roommate. He hated the fact that he was not capable to share those intimate moments with Rin, he hated that he could not sneak into his bed at night and cling to his warm body. They could not sit quietly together, they were unable to kiss, incapable to touch. All their private contact had been reduced to almost zero because of this. It was even worse knowing they were childhood friends, and that they got along really well, as good as Rin and Nitori had never gotten. It hurt how close they were right in front of him and he could not voice anything.

At this point Ai felt like a nuisance. His boyfriend felt so distant and he felt he was a bother every time he visited his new room to watch a movie and hang together, or when he asked for Rin’s help with English or training. He just did not know anymore how Rin felt, or how he felt himself at all. They did not see each other anymore, they barely texted, Rin was always busy with the swimming team or out doing something else. He could understand he was the captain, but he could not understand the lies.

Yes, the lying had started, or at least he finally noticed it. Nitori was no fool, he caught Rin walking out of campus several times when he had rejected him because of homework or any other excuse. And still, Ai would not accept what was going on. He wanted to convince himself that nothing was happening, but he could see it, and he could hear it. Rin had a bad habit of getting drunk every time he went out to drink with Nanase, and a drunk Matsuoka in the middle of the night often texted him calling the wrong name. Next day, not a word would be heard about the incidents from the night, but Nitori could spot strange bruises on Rin’s skin that were not his doing.

Could it be possible that Rin was cheating on him? That was a question that often clouded his mind and filled him with sorrow and grief. Nitori did not want to believe it, but there were so many hints that suggested it… He was too afraid to ask him directly, too scared of saying anything, that he just sat down and bottled it all inside, slowly building up the feelings that started to crumble and rot him. Those ideas tormented his sleep and happiness and he could not find peace. What had been his source of outmost joy had suddenly become his downfall.

Every night Ai would break crying as soon as he could hear Momo’s deep breathing while asleep. He found it impossible to concentrate in class and he had started to screw up during practice even in the basics. Whenever someone asked if something was wrong, Nitori smiled cheerfully and said ‘nothing’. How could he tell anyone? Nobody knew about them, nobody was allowed to know. How could he talk about something nobody knew existed? It had become something that Nitori had to endure by himself.

Nitori’s vision blurred as his eyes watered. Tears started to roll down his cheeks in streams much against his will. He couldn’t contain them anymore or fight the knot that formed down his throat while looking at that sneaky figure walking back into the dorms, after saying he was too busy with homework.

Lies and more lies everywhere. Everything was a huge big lie, and he knew it. He had been living a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter #1:  
> Inspired by this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ_aTUYvo-8
> 
> Rating will go up in future chapters!  
> Also, all chapters and even the title are based on different songs, if you can spot them all.  
> Can you guess how will this turn out? I swear it gets better<3  
> Can you guess the pairing for this story?


	2. Bliss (I don't wanna know)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nitori can't keep ignoring the facts. Not when they are clearly in front of him. It's game over.
> 
> ((My friend loonytwin helped me to write some smexy scenes <3))

It was a rainy and cold day. Everyone gathered at Haru’s place for a small get together. They had drinks, food and music. Everyone was there: Haru, Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, Gou Rin, Momotarou, Sousuke, Nitori, even Seijuurou and Kisumi where at the place.

Everything was going smoothly, everyone was getting along pretty well. Laughs filled the room and cheered the mood. It had been a while since everyone got together without a relay in between. No competition, no rivals, just a bunch of friends hanging out.

Rei was making a fool out of himself while Nagisa teased him. Momo laughed uncontrollably and Makoto tried to stop a furious Rei from chasing him away. Sousuke just stared at a distance at the bunch of dorks while Nitori tried to make Momo stop. Seijuurou would only sigh and chuckle at his smaller brother while trying to hold a conversation with Gou, luckily without a jealous Rin digging a hole on his back with his piercing gaze.

The reunion wasn’t that big, but big enough for Rin and Haru to go unnoticed.

It was probably the stares, or just the way he kept glancing side to side, but Rin knew he was out of it, not knowing any better than what his drunken mind could manage. The mix of fruit punch and alcohol had turned him unbelievably horny.

“Even at parties you always look so uninterested, geez.” Rin managed to say without a hint of slur, holding onto Haru’s arm. The party soon forgotten seemed like background music in their ears.

Blue eyes rolled back, not answering until he could feel the other pressing onto his side, “It’s just a reunion, we see each other every day.”

“Not me,” Rin declared, his eyes turning to the rest before shifting back to Haru. “I miss this. I miss seeing you, guys.”

Now Haru knew it was the alcohol speaking, not Rin. Sentimental Rin was a rare sight. “If you visited more often that wouldn’t happen.” He managed to speak a bit higher, Rei being a bit too loud for his liking as he chased Nagisa.

“Aaaww, you miss me?” Sharp teeth made themselves show, sending a teasing grin at the other, who only narrowed his eyes. Rin ran his hand up Haru’s arm, the fabric soft under his touch, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you would want things to happen. You know, between us.”

“Things could happen.” Rin heard Haru say, his eyes turning away. The way Rin chuckled at his response, louder than usual, confirmed all suspicions Haru had: the alcohol was probably a bit too strong. “If you weren’t so emotional.” He added.

“Things like what?” Rin smirked, getting closer to the other, his movements caging Haru between him and the hallway wall, the others too far to hear him whisper. He decided to ignore his second statement.

“Things… only if I want them to happen, though.” Haru managed to whisper back, his hands running up Rin’s arms and to his shoulders. Rin wasn’t the only one drunk, after all.

“Do you?” to emphasize, Rin’s fingers found Haru’s belt, pulling with his index finger over the edge of his pants and down. 

Haru didn’t reply, he couldn’t, not after Rin’s lips crashed on his, engaging in a hot kiss. His hands roamed all over Haru’s body. Nibbling on the serious boy’s lips, he licked for permission instantly granted to slip his tongue and share the taste of alcohol. Hands groped and fondled the toned body under the clothes before sneaking beneath it.

The last source of light Haru could see from behind the closet Rin had pushed him in was the only thing that helped him walk backwards without hitting anything. He almost pushed the door too hard; it would’ve made too much noise.

Rin was too busy unzipping his pants as well as Haru’s to care.

They managed to get inside the nearest closet Rin could find. For a drunken guy, he was rather coordinated to keep both him and Haru silent enough so they could sneak away.

Haru let out a deep breath and gave in to Rin’s suffocating loving. His fingers gripped Rin’s shirt, pulling it over his head and off completely, the same way Rin managed to pull Haru’s pants down along with his underwear.

“Don’t—“ Haru barely whispered as he felt his cock pressing against Rin’s own, gasping softly as he threw his head back, the feeling going straight through him. “Don’t leave marks…”

“Haru…” Rin kissed every inch of his neck, his words slurring against his skin, sucking the tender flesh, groping Haru’s hips and sliding down to squeeze his ass. Haru whined, lifting one of his knees then the other to wrap around Rin’s hips.

They were rushing the situation a bit. Rin was really straightforward, be it because of the alcohol or the fact that they could be spotted if they disappeared for too long.

As Rin busied himself holding back on the tempting idea of marking him, he raised a hand and pressed a couple of fingers to Haru’s lips. He understood the gesture and started to lick on his digits to wet them. None of them had anything better at hand.

After a few seconds, Rin pressed his slick fingers against his entrance and slipped in one by one quickly, stretching him. He twirled his fingers and got a gasp in response from Haru’s lips.

Haru trembled in anticipation, alcohol making his head hazy. He was getting harder with the compromising situation. He was getting anxious, however, he waited as Rin prepared him for what was to come.

Rin still had his pants on, unzipped and barely holding over the curve of his ass but his cock pressing against Haru’s thigh.

“Enough.” He told Rin to move on and remove his fingers, unable to wait any longer.

Haru gripped Rin’s shoulders for support, licking his lips as he kissed Rin’s neck, thrusting forward until the tip of Rin’s cock pushed inside him. Rin groaned, holding onto dear life and gasping when Haru did it again. “Rin… c’mon…” Haru whispered, barely loud enough for the other to hear.

That was all it took for Rin to take a hold of Haru’s hips, lining his cock on Haru’s entrance and thrusting in with a low growl until Haru was filled to the brim, a silent scream muffled by Rin’s shoulder. “Aaah… H-Haru…”

“Rin…?”

Rin turned to look over his shoulder in a rush and his heart dropped to the ground. Words choke at his throat and his eyes widened, just as Nitori's did, standing by the door speechless and frozen.

Nitori had managed to leave his tormenting thoughts aside to enjoy the moment. He found himself still slightly distracted, and often dozed off, but he was starting to find some joy in his new friend and the general atmosphere.

He had engaged in a small conversation with his ex captain, and he had also caught up slightly with Sousuke, though his main intention was to try and see if Rin had said anything about Haru to him.

Nagisa, who noticed that Nitori was a bit off, had reached out to tease and fluster him, trying to cheer him up. He really appreciated his silent worry, though he could not feel at his best.

Things were going great until something seemed out of place… Rin was nowhere to be found.

Ai had gone looking for his senpai when he noticed he had disappeared from the crowd. When he saw that Haruka was also missing, his heart started to beat uncontrollably. He instantly started to feel sick, having a strange bad feeling. Either way, he got on his feet and took a look out of the living room into the hall for Rin. He was not sure if he wanted to actually find him, knowing that Nanase was also missing.

Once out, Nitori looked around without a sight of Rin or Haru. However, he heard some faint noises coming from a half-closed door, and curiosity overpowered him. He took a few silent steps and came closer, until he managed to take a look inside. He could not believe his eyes.

“Nitori!”

In the blink of an eye, Nitori had dashed away before Rin could say anything else. At the moment, he felt nothing, and he was crossing his fingers for the scene to be no more than a dream. But as soon as his lover called his name, everything fell on him like a bucket of ice water.

Ai did not even think about it thoroughly, he just made his way across the party room quickly and ran out of the house. He ran and ran without any special place in mind, he ran to get away, ran to get far from him. He ran until his legs gave in and he had to gasp to suck air into his burning lungs.

When he finally halted, he looked around with blurred vision due to the streams of tears that would not stop welling. His heart pounded furiously against his chest, menacing to pop out, his head spun dizzy and he felt a stinging pain.

He looked around and he was alone. He had always been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter #2:  
> "I don't wanna know it's over-- 'cause ignorance is bliss."
> 
> We are not even at the middle of this story! I swear it gets better. <33  
> I urge you to look for the lyrics of the songs! It will give you an idea of what is going on and what will happen later.


	3. Running in the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nitori realizes his situation and comes to a conclusion.

Nitori felt cold. He was not sure if it was because of what he had just seen or because of the rain that started to pour down when he stepped out of Haru’s. He just felt his body become heavier.

Ai dropped to his knees and broke crying desperately. He choked and sobbed in exasperation and disappointment. He was unable to think at all. A turmoil of feelings and flashes of his memory suffocated him. All he was capable of was curling his body and hugging his legs tightly until his emotions settled.

Once he relaxed enough to think, Nitori took another look around. He had ended in a park, not quite sure where. He spotted a bench and allowed himself to drop his weight on it. He sat with a hunched back while staring down at the floor and his own muddy shoes.

Alone.

Ai was alone at that park under the soaking, cold rain. A part of him wished that Rin would have followed him to explain and calm his raging heart, that there was a valid reason he could forgive Rin for what he was doing. But now, he was not sure he even wanted to see his senpai anymore.

His face twisted in pain for a second remembering the scene. He had walked into Rin having sex with Haru. There was no mistaking it, he had a clear view of the situation and they both seemed to be really enjoying it.

Maybe it had been the alcohol?

No, there was no excuse for it. But he had never thought Haru or Rin capable of doing that to him, hurting him.

Did Nanase know about them? Probably not, they agreed on not telling anyone.

But why would Rin do that? Was he doing something wrong? Did he push him away or made him angry? Wasn’t he enough? Didn’t he love him?

The more he thought about it, the more questions popped up in his mind. His head started to spin again in confusion so he forced himself to stop. He had caused more tears to start streaming down, though they disappeared with the pouring rain.

Nitori’s clothes were drenched and sticking to his slender body. He had left so quickly that he forgot to take his umbrella and jacket. He was getting colder but he wasn’t willing to go back. He didn’t want to go back.  
His chest was heavy, he felt a pressure and it ached him every time his mind wandered back to Rin. He felt lost. He knew it was over. There was no going back. As much as he loved Rin, he wasn’t going down that path. He was getting tired of being second to Nanase.

What was he supposed to do now? He had never been in a similar situation before.

His trail of thoughts was interrupted when he felt the rain pouring on him stopped and a shadow loomed over him. He turned his face over his shoulder and saw Sousuke holding an umbrella.

“Y-Yamazaki-senpai?” Ai winced at the last word.

“You forgot your jacket and umbrella.” Sousuke said.

The tall boy held both items in a hand. Nitori was really surprised to see him, he stared up at his stern face, unable to decipher why he had done that.

“If you get sick you won’t be able to swim.” He added a few seconds later.

Right, Sousuke was aware of his late night training and his goal of joining the relay. He had even offered to couch him for a bit.

“Thank you.” Nitori smiled slightly, trying to hold his tears.

Whether he had noticed or not, Sousuke said nothing about his red swelling eyes, he just handed him his things in silence, for which Nitori thanked him again and apologized for the trouble. The drenched boy put on his sweater after he wrung his shirt as much as possible.

Sousuke turned around and stopped. He was about to leave but he glanced at Nitori with the corner of his eye. He felt pity for the boy who seemed totally upset and lost. He probably was lost for real, and something didn’t let him leave him just like that. He took a deep sigh before speaking again a bit troubled.

“Lets walk back. You don’t know the way back, do you?” Sousuke asked.

Nitori got slightly startled and flustered. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was. He could probably get back on his own asking for directions or walking around until he found a familiar street, but Sousuke was right.

“Y-yeah…” Nitori admitted ashamed, lowering his head.

“Lets get going.” Sousuke said and started walking.

“A-alright!” Nitori stood quickly and caught up with him. He was about to open his umbrella but Sousuke’s was big enough for both to walk side by side at a reasonable distance.

For the rest of the walk back, Nitori kept quiet with his head low, and Sousuke didn’t bother to start any conversation. Either way, Nitori was too deep in thought to say anything. He did his best not to cry in front of his senpai, not wanting to bother him with his problems.

Once back into school grounds, Nitori thanked Yamazaki again and parted ways. Nitori went straight to his room, and it was empty. Momo and the others were probably still at the party in Haru’s house.

The others. Rin too.

Aiichirou stepped into his dark room not bothering to turn on the lights. As soon as the lock was on, he rested his back on the cold wooden door. He allowed himself to slide down until he sat on the floor, defeated. He felt so helpless and hurt. There was no avoiding the feelings and ignoring the facts anymore.

Shivers took over his body that froze with rainwater. Taking off his jacket and soaked shirt, Ai left his belongings aside and took some clean clothes making his way into the bathroom. The hot water of the shower started to pour soon after, as he undressed and stepped into it.

The hot water soothed his aching body, but didn’t ease his mind. He let the water warm him while his mind wandered back into pending matters.

He still couldn’t believe his eyes. He couldn’t believe that Rin was capable of something like that. However, he couldn’t get mad at him. Nitori wanted to understand why he had done that and why had Rin drifted from him. He wanted to know when he started to lose him and why. He wanted to know if he had done anything wrong.

There was no doubt he loved the shark boy with every fiber of his body, but did Rin ever love him?

Even if he didn’t want to, Nitori felt bad with himself. He thought that somehow he hadn’t been enough to keep his senpai by his side, that his love wasn’t sufficient.

The stream of water washed away his renewed tears. This time no one was around to hear, so he cried out his heart. He kneeled on the floor of the shower and hugged his knees, crying until his head spun and his eyes hurt. He cried until his sobs and chokes stopped and he felt he couldn’t shed another tear.

Nitori got out of the shower and dried to put on his pajamas. He walked silently back into the room, still no sight of Momo. He went ahead and crawled into bed, pulling the warm blankets over his numb body.

Sighing, Ai remained in the dark until he caught a glim of light shinning against the screen of his phone on the desk. He decided to get up and fetch his phone before going back to bed.

Staring at the dark screen, his heart sank once more. There was no flash of light indicating any missed calls or new messages. Not a notification or anything else to signal that Rin had attempted to contact him. He didn’t follow him and he didn’t try to call or text him.

For the longest time, Nitori remained in silence waiting patiently for a call that never arrived. He clung to a small ray of hope in the darkness that got dimmer with each passing minute. He couldn’t help but imagine all sorts of situations that could have prevented his senpai from reaching out for him. None appealed to his liking.

His heart still grasped to the idea that there was a chance, that they had a future together and everything could be mended, that they could work through it together and be happy once again as it used to be before. But it was too late.

It seemed like an eternity, but once the light vanished, something clicked in his mind. Nitori knew exactly what to do. No more running and trying to catch up. No more backs turned to him.

Nitori flickered his phone on and unlocked the screen. He tapped through the keys and sent a text with a single line.

_“Let’s break up.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter #3:  
> "I know your heart's been shattered, but there's someone worth the wait." 
> 
> Err-- And I swear it gets better lmao just bear with me a little longer!  
> I think we are at the middle of this story!  
> Did you figure out what's to come yet?


	4. Without You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nitori breaks the chains and finally takes a step forward, in a direction he's not even aware of.

The past few weeks had been hellish. Nitori had dropped a bomb and then refused to speak a word. As soon as he had sent that text to Rin, he called back, but Nitori didn’t answer, nor replied any of his texts. He didn’t even bother to check them.

Rin had tried to speak with Nitori in person, but he also refused to that. He avoided him as much as possible and excused himself whenever he approached. He did attend swimming practices, but he limited himself to do his part and then leave before anyone else. Luckily, Rin kept his cool around others and didn’t make a scene.

However, after school Rin would knock at his door every day and ask him for a chance to explain himself. But Nitori was not ready for that conversation just yet.

He felt depressed and every time his mind wandered back to that topic, he couldn’t hold his feelings back. Even the clueless Momo had noticed something was going on, but Nitori wouldn’t tell. He eventually stopped insisting and let his senpai be, although he was always there in case he needed him.

Aiichirou had promised himself he wouldn’t be stupid and stop eating or attending class, he even kept studying English really hard. His desk and bed were messier than usual and he spent all weekends holed in his room in pajamas, but he didn’t let his grades drop or his physical condition worsen.

Ai had lost a bit of inspiration on the topic of the relay. He currently didn’t know if he still wanted to participate. However, he kept practicing late at night, because it was the only thing that distracted his mind, and Sousuke was the only one who didn’t bother him trying to find out what was going on with him.

Nitori wondered whether Rin had told him anything and if he was aware of what was going on; after all, he was Rin’s best friend and roommate. Nonetheless, even if he knew, he never said a single word about it.

“Nitori.” A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Turning his head up, Ai noticed Sousuke staring down at him. He got startled since they were in the middle of some training.

“You are spacing out again.” Sousuke stated bluntly.

“S-sorry!” Nitori replied right away, clinging to the edge of the pool.

“Let’s take a break.” His senpai suggested, sighing.

Nitori sighed as well, feeling he was being a nuisance. Sousuke was being really nice offering his coaching and he was just wasting his time being so distracted. Nitori crawled out of the pool and reached for a towel that he put over his own shoulders. He saw Sousuke sit on a nearby bench and followed him, sitting down to his side.

Silence reigned the poolroom once more. Ai didn’t mind Sousuke’s lack of words. It wasn’t awkward; it was actually sort of comforting. But he still leaned over resting his arms on his own knees, with his head and spirits low.

The invisible weight over his shoulder menaced to crush him down. He had been avoiding the subject for nearly a month, and he was finding it harder to ignore with each passing day. He hadn’t allowed himself to cry anymore after that night, he just closed his heart, but the feelings turned arduous to contain.

Not having anyone to talk to was though. He had some friends, but it wasn’t that simple. There was Momo, but he didn’t now how would he react to the notice. He was too scared to tell anyone, but at the same time, he wished he had someone’s support.

Nitori felt his eyes watering up, but the sudden touch of a hand over his head distracted him. He noticed that Sousuke had reached out and put a hand over him, ruffling his wet hair. Nitori just stared back a bit confused, though Sousuke just kept staring down at the floor.

“You can’t run forever from your problems. They will just bring you more trouble.” He said seriously.

Aiichirou’s heart skipped a beat. It was clear that Sousuke was aware of everything. His words formed a knot in Ai’s throat. Frightened, he started to wonder what did Yamazaki think of him knowing his sexual preferences, and if he thought of him any less for what had happened with Rin.

Either way, he couldn’t reply when he was totally right. It was hard to face reality, but it was even more difficult to listen to it from others.

“Sometimes life’s unfair. You just gotta keep moving.” His senpai took away his hand.

There was something in his voice and words that Nitori couldn’t quite get. It was as if he was talking out of experience, and it made him sound more mature.

“You have to face it and move on.” Sousuke added at last.

Nitori still couldn’t find any words to reply, but it didn’t seem like Yamazaki was waiting for any. His senpai stood up quietly and started to walk away.

“Practice is over. Get some rest.”

And he was gone after that.

Troubled by his words, Ai struggled with himself. He gave his senpai’s words some serious thought. They made him feel strange, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

Nitori was tired of feeling sick, of feeling bad for himself and being left behind. He didn’t want to feel miserable for the rest of his life. He didn’t want a single setback to crumble him and mark him that easily.

Sure, it had been something really personal and delicate. It had been his very first love and real relationship ever, but he couldn’t hide from it forever. He had to move on and not allow anything or anyone to drag him back.

Deep inside of him, he was afraid to meet Rin. He was terrified by the idea of losing him. Despite everything, he was still his idol and he admired him. He wanted to be as strong as him. And if he was going to face him, he had to set his ideas straight first.

Nitori stayed behind, alone by the pool, deep in thought. But this time, he didn’t cry or feel alone.

\--

Sousuke laid on his bunk bed with his arms behind his head for support. He stared at the ceiling thinking about what he had told Nitori a few days ago. He hadn’t meant to pry. He didn’t want to get involved into something that was clearly not his business. But most of all, he hadn’t wanted to say something that would hurt the poor little guy even more than he already was.

Judging by the late night sessions that had been suspended since then, he probably offended Nitori, and most likely made him cry after he left.

Letting a loud sigh, he regretted breaking his personal rule that night. He had driven the little boy away.

The vibration of his phone ringing with a new text message called him back to Earth. It was Rin telling him not to wait up. He had no time to reply when he heard a knock on his door. He heard a second knock and he crawled down the top bunk bed.

He stretched his arms and scratched the back of his head, going for the door and opening.

“Nitori?” Sousuke asked, actually surprised.

Nitori stood outside his dorm, his slender figure heavy and head low. He stood in silence refusing to look up and unable to talk, words were stuck at his throat. Though he was quiet, Sousuke could tell Nitori was crying by the crystalline streams on his cheeks and runny nose, he was also trembling trying his best not to sob or choke.

He realized quickly putting things together. A few hours ago Rin had left in a rush after he received a text message on his phone. He had thought it was Haru who called him over, but he would have told him if that were the case. Sousuke guessed that Nitori had finally contacted Rin to talk, and the crumbling boy in front of him had been the result of the aftermath.

Sousuke then understood that Nitori had heard his words and gave it some serious thought, and that he had took the past few days to set his things straight to meet Rin. It was a wild guess, but he was sure that Nitori put on a high face with Rin, although he had fallen to pieces right after he left.

“Come in.” He told him quickly.

The broken boy walked inside and stood in the middle of the room, still dead silent. Sousuke closed the door behind and stood in front of Ai in silence. It didn’t take a minute for the smaller guy to cling to him and break crying.

Sousuke raised an arm and placed a hand to Nitori’s back. Though he remained in silence, Nitori felt comforted as he cried his heart out for the last time.

A weight had been lifted of his shoulders and he could breath again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter #4:  
> "It’s safe to say that I’m ready to let you leave. I’m fine without you."
> 
> We get to see what happened with Rin and what was their mysterious conversation-- in a side fanfiction I'm working already, so stay tuned! 
> 
> We are almost there.  
> Do you think Nitori's development is flowing naturally? Hope it doesn't feel forced and OOC!
> 
> EDIT: There's a side story with Rin's POV and the conversation they had that won't show in here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/2654699/chapters/5931482


	5. The Best Is Yet To Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems to be getting for Nitori, as he starts to leave the bad behind and look forward for what the future holds for him.
> 
> \--
> 
> If you are interested, I wrote a side story with Rin's POV and the conversation that he had with Nitori that won't be showed here.  
> First chapter of that fic comes before this one!
> 
> If you are interested in what happened with Rin and Nitori you should check it out! : http://archiveofourown.org/works/2654699/chapters/5931482

Little by little Nitori felt himself shining once more. He saw himself differently and felt that way. He slowly started to find joy in his daily life and the little things that surrounded him. He had lost his fear to remain alone and sink in his thoughts.

Ai was recovering, and he could see his improvement reflected in his grades and his times at the swimming club. He still felt a bit down, and usually spent the weekend alone in his room, but it was normal. He was getting better at least.

He had even picked up his late training with Sousuke, and he was doing much better. He seemed more focused and open to feedback. He tried his best, and decided again to join the relay to swim with Rin. This was his last chance to swim with his precious friend.

However, there was a little thought in his mind that started to grow. Nitori couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when remembering what he had done. He had gone to Sousuke’s room and he had cried himself to sleep in front of his senpai.

He woke up the next day with a bit of a headache, cheeks full of dry tears and still clinging to Sousuke’s shirt. Sousuke was awake by the time Nitori woke up, and he had been staring at the sleeping boy for a while, which only added to his embarrassment. Though Sousuke insisted that he didn’t mind and it wasn’t a bother, Nitori still felt a bit sorry.

Ai had never thought that he would be friends with someone he used to be jealous of. He remembered the time when he hated the boy for taking away his roommate, and when he would hiss in jealousy because Rin preferred to spend some time catching up with his childhood friend. It all seemed silly now, and he even found it funny.

Thinking about it, he found it hard to understand Sousuke. He seemed to be more open with Rin, he had seen them laugh and joke together several times before, but he was more serious and cautious around him. At first he had thought that Sousuke didn’t like him, but he was really kind with his few words. Either way, he could feel he was opening to him slowly.

They had just finished practicing for the night, and this time, Sousuke had stayed behind for a few extra minutes after Nitori showered and changed into dry clothes.

Ai dried his hair with a towel and then left the towel over his shoulders. He tried to comb his moist hair with his fingers, as he sat down by a bench with his senpai.

This time he had managed to start a small conversation about trivial things, such as swimming, grades and other studies. Nitori thought it was funny when he found out that Sousuke struggled a bit to keep his grades up. He always seemed so cool and collected that he thought he was really smart, the kind to never study and still ace the class.

Nitori was so glad starting to know more about his senpai that he started to ask him a thousand questions. Sousuke always replied no matter how strange the question was, or how personal they got. He even asked him a bit about his relationship with Rin and what did he think about the Iwatobis.

However, when he touched that topic, he remembered about Haruka, and fell quiet for a minute. It didn’t hurt anymore, but it was still uncomfortable.

“Let’s go out.” Sousuke’s voice as calm as ever.

“Huh?” Nitori snapped out of his thoughts a bit confused at the proposal.

“You keep holing up in your room. Let’s go to the plaza this weekend. Some fresh air will be good for you.” His senpai suggested.

“Mh…” Nitori thought about it for a bit.

It was true that he had barely gone out since Rin’s incident, and he had been awfully bored on weekends. He didn’t visit family and all he had to do was exhaust himself with training and studying. Going out for a bit again seemed like a nice idea.

“Sure!” He cheered and smiled brightly.

\--

It was finally the day, and Nitori was strangely excited. It felt like an eternity since last time he had gone out with a friend or even gone out by himself. He was currently drying his hair with a hair dryer after a bath, while trying to decide for something to wear.

Momotarou happened to be staying at the dorms for the weekend, and he noticed Nitori’s evident struggle. It was amusing and really interesting at the same time. Momo had noticed the change in mood of his senpai, and wondered what was going on.

“Nitori-senpai! Where are you going?” He asked with a grin from ear to ear.

“Oh! I’ll be going to the plaza, gonna hang around with Yamazaki-senpai. Do you want to come?” Nitori asked him, though he crossed fingers for Momo not to go. He didn’t feel like he could deal with the energetic boy for that long.

“Oh, sorry! I got plans for tonight! Maybe next time?” Momo grinned wider if possible. He had a plan that included hunting for girls for the rest of the afternoon.

“Sure.” Nitori shrugged it off and finished with his hair.

Ai wandered into the bathroom and changed into some shorts, his favorite shirt and a warm sweater. He said goodbye to Momo while putting on his shoes, before leaving the room. He could hear Momo’s voice wishing him luck.

Nitori checked his phone for the time and then made sure he wasn’t late. He was actually a bit earlier so he took his time to walk all the way to the meeting place. He arrived just in time, and Sousuke was already there. When he got noticed at the distance, he waved an arm and ran up to catch up.

“Yamazaki-senpai!” He greeted with a big smile.

“You can call me Sousuke.” The taller boy corrected.

“Sousuke-senpai!” Nitori repeated. Sousuke only chuckled.

“Are you ready?” He asked starting to walk.

“Yes!” Aiichirou replied and followed his lead.

Nitori hadn’t had as much fun in weeks. They didn’t go do anything that big, but it was still really entertaining.

They picked up some food and drinks in the way. They walked around the plaza and took a look at the shops and talked about anything. They had stopped at a shop that had sports and swimwear on display, and talked a bit more about swimming and practice.

Nitori laughed and talked a lot more than Sousuke, but he didn’t mind. Nitori would feel a bit troubled every now and then because his senpai wouldn’t let him pay for most things, saying that he had been the one with the idea and that it was his treat. But still, Nitori felt grateful and in debt, so he thought he would treat him next time.

For their last stop they had gone to a small café and sat down at a table by the window. Nitori wasn’t surprised to find out Sousuke just asked for regular iced coffee, when he went for something more sugary. Sousuke had even bought a small cake that Nitori wouldn’t stop to thank him for.

“It was delicious, senpai!” Nitori said walking down the plaza with his drink in hand. “Thank you!”

“No big deal.” Sousuke replied, sticking his hands in his pants’ pockets.

“I think I’ll come back again sometime.” Nitori took small sips of his coffee every now and then.

Sousuke glanced at Nitori every now and then, the boy had really improved and it seemed like going out had definitely being a good thing. Nitori was as cheerful and talkative as he used to be, at least for the time being. It was much better than seeing the little guy crying his eyes out.

“Ah.” Ai suddenly stopped and Sousuke mimicked.

“What is it?” He asked, and followed Ai’s gaze.

Sousuke spotted Rin and Haru walking their way, Nitori waved a hand at the distance in a greeting. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t really awkward, and Nitori’s mood didn’t drop either.

Rin greeted them, and Haruka just nodded his head in acknowledgment, as serious as ever. They engaged in a small talk, with Rin and Sousuke doing most of the talk, Nitori would sometimes laugh and nod his head at their conversation. Sousuke was definitely more talkative around Rin, and Ai couldn’t help but stare at it curiously.

Soon enough, they started saying farewell. As Rin and Sousuke said goodbye to each other, Haru caught Nitori’s attention, and whispered lowly enough for him to listen.

“Are you alright?” He seemed serious and honestly concerned.

Nitori was surprised and amused at the question. He gave it some thought, glanced at Sousuke and then back at Haru. He nodded his head and smiled brightly.

“I am.”

Haru searched in his eyes for any trace of hesitation, but relaxed when he saw his determination. He waved a hand at both and followed Rin as they left.

Sousuke and Aiichirou resumed walking, though Ai seemed to be deep in thought, more serious than before.

“Are you still in love with him?” He glanced at the smaller boy from the corner of his eye. 

Ai was bemused by the sudden seriousness, but he smiled and replied back in the same manner, confident about his answer.

“No. Love and admiration are two whole different things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter #5:  
> "Go for it, run toward it, dive in head first, live life with no regret.  
> Put your heart out there, don't be scared, you might get hurt, but it's all worth it in the end, 'cause the best is yet to come" 
> 
> Key chapter! I've been waiting to write this chapter since the very beginning, I think it's the most important of the whole story. 
> 
> How do you like it so far? This is story is a bit closer to its sweet end~


	6. Realize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opportunities come when less expected, from places Nitori hadn't looked at.

To be totally honest, it had all started out of pity. Sousuke had seen the little guy run out of Haru’s house that day so startled and about to cry as if he had seen a ghost. It was easy to put things together and figure out what had happened when he saw Rin and Haru rush back into the room. 

He wouldn’t have gone looking for Nitori if Rin hadn’t had that awfully concerned look. He could tell that Rin was struggling a lot between staying with Haru and looking for Nitori, and who knows how many other things in his mind. 

At the beginning, Sousuke had thought that he could more or less relate to Nitori. He had to endure the absence of his best friend for years, and now that he had him close, he barely saw him because of Haruka. He also wanted to swim with Rin once more at the relay, just like Nitori.

He had been sorry for Ai. But now, Sousuke had come to grow attached to the boy. It was amusing, because he had never meant to. It all happened before he noticed it himself. Still, Sousuke wasn’t opposed to it in the least. 

It started with the night when Nitori had gone to him and cried his eyes out. Sousuke had surprised himself by feeling responsible for him and actually wanting to comfort him. When he fell asleep, Sousuke spent a lot of time staring at his reddened sleeping face. He found him cute. He couldn’t help but feel the need of protecting him as well. 

That night he allowed himself to sleep next to the boy and wake up with him. It felt strange to do so, but not uncomfortable. He felt somehow pleased when he saw that Nitori’s face had softened, and he was sleeping safe and soundly. 

Still a bit cautious, Sousuke invited the boy out. It was amusing how innocent Nitori was. He had meant to literally invite him out in a date, but Ai discarded it as friends hanging out. Sousuke rolled with it, but still paid for everything enjoying Nitori’s excitement.

Their encounter with Rin by the end of the day and Nitori’s reasoning afterwards had been it. He was glad to know that even though it still hurt him, he was decided to leave Rin behind and move on. 

He had come to a conclusion, and Sousuke wasn’t one to sit down and wait once he realized and set his mind on something.

Late night training had become almost a ritual. Sousuke walked to the pool as usual, just in time as every night. He was pretty punctual, especially today. However, Nitori was nowhere in sight when he arrived. 

The boy would usually be already in his swimwear and doing some warm up, so it was strange not to find him around. Sousuke was sure he had nothing to do today, unless he had gone out to celebrate at last minute for his new time record, which broke that other swimmer’s time. But Nitori would have told him if that were the case. 

Sitting down by a bench, Sousuke waited patiently for a few minutes in silence. But when the clock reached ten minutes past the usual hour, Sousuke stood up and made his way around the poolroom. He couldn’t seem to find him, until he walked into the locker rooms. 

Maybe it was the emotion of today’s events, or just Nitori being especially sensitive that day, but he was feeling too strange to even train for the night. He had gone to the pool and changed to his swimwear, but a wave of feelings assaulted him on the spot and he couldn’t do more than to sit down on a bench, curl and hug his own legs against his chest. 

He did it. He had beaten that other guy’s record. Nitori was getting better; all the training was paying off. He felt overjoyed, it was too much to contain and he had no idea what to do with it. 

He was almost shivering in excitement when suddenly, a door opened and he saw Sousuke walk in. Right, he hadn’t said anything to his senpai and probably left him waiting. He had thought he would have left by now, but seeing him walk in made Nitori burst.

“Y-Yamazaki-senpai!” Nitori exclaimed. 

“Call me Sousuke. What is it?” Sousuke asked, a bit confused at Nitori’s strange mood. 

“S-Sousuke…” He repeated to himself. 

Sousuke. Nitori felt forever in debt with this person, he had no words to express his gratitude. He put down his legs and placed his hands on his own knees. 

“Senpai! Thank you so much! I could have never done it without you!” Nitori exclaimed once more.

“You have been the one training until exhaustion, I did nothing.” 

Nitori couldn’t help but find him extremely humble and kind, which only added to his appreciation. 

“But, senpai! Support and advice is the most important! You offered both and I’m really thankful for it! You didn’t just help me with my swimming, but also helped me as a friend with my personal issues!” Ai lowered his head and clutched his hands into fists over his knees. “You gave me your guidance when I had shattered, you made me realize I had to keep moving forward. You even helped me get out of my room and made me able to face Rin-senpai once more! You made me recover my faith in myself and reassured my goals!”

Sousuke’s eyes had widened slightly before relaxing and letting Nitori continue with his speech. The boy was bursting with emotion so there was no stopping him. Either way, Nitori wouldn’t look up at Sousuke, he kept his head low in embarrassment, and it was easier to hold back his emotional tears that way as well. 

“For all that and everything else, I’m forever in debt with you! I felt I hadn’t properly thanked you, so… Thank you so much!” Nitori finalized, fidgeting with his fingers. 

At that point, Ai’s tears were about to flow. Sousuke was slightly amused by how sentimental the boy was. It was just like someone else he knew. Still, he definitely didn’t like to see any of them cry. He wandered closer. 

“I feel like I don’t deser—“ Nitori raised his face and was shut by a pair of lips crashing on his. 

It took him a few seconds to register that Sousuke was kissing him. His eyes widened slightly and his face blushed right away when his senpai backed off. Sousuke had acted out of impulse. It had just seemed the right thing to do. 

“You did great today. You are amazing. Don’t doubt that.” And he kissed the confused boy again. He didn’t feel like listening to Nitori’s inferiority complex at the moment. 

Sousuke had just completely turned Nitori’s mind upside down. He could feel the little guy hesitate under his kiss, but he eventually relaxed and gave in. Ai was being so sweet and shy; he could feel his skin burn close to his face. He followed the pace for a few seconds. However, he soon deepened the kiss. 

Bringing his hands up to cup Ai’s cheeks, Sousuke tilted his face. He had started to nibble on the younger boy’s lips, causing him to jump slightly startled. Still, Nitori wouldn’t pull back; instead, he dared and licked his senpai’s lips, as his heart started to race. 

Taking the hint, Sousuke slid his tongue into his mouth when Nitori parted his lips, starting to explore the cavity. He could feel his kouhai’s hands raise and cling to his sweater. 

The kiss extended for what seemed like an eternity. Sousuke would brush his tongue against his; it felt too good it was obvious he had a lot of experience. Nitori blushed some more at the thought and exhaled against his lips. 

Nitori was being too conscious of how soft Sousuke’s lips were, how hot and wet was his tongue, and the warm toned skin he could feel under the fabric of his shirt. He got so carried away with the moment that he squirmed slightly, feeling himself warming up and unconsciously allowing a soft moan to escape from his lips. 

Sousuke broke the kiss leaving Nitori breathless. He was surprised when he heard that little sound muffled against his lips. He stared at Ai, who had a flushed face and was panting lightly. Lowering his gaze he caught the glimpse of a tent rising up in his swimwear. It took less than a second for a startled Aiichirou to jump on his seat and use his hands to cover himself totally flustered. 

“I-I…!!” he stuttered trying to explain in vain. 

It took Sousuke a few seconds to reconsider the situation, obviously embarrassing for the little guy. He hadn’t expected to cause that, but he found it hard to hold back on his intense kissing when Nitori had started to return it. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of joy being able to provoke such reactions on the younger one. 

Hovering closer, Sousuke put his forehead against Nitori’s lowered head. He softly placed a hand over Nitori’s and whispered with a concerned voice, hoping not to scare the boy away.

“Can I…?” Sousuke asked for permission. 

Ai felt his face burn brightly in embarrassment and he kept quiet for what seemed the longest seconds in Sousuke’s life. He had even started to wonder what was going through Nitori’s mind to take so long to reject him when Ai started to nod his head slowly in a shy manner. 

Sousuke stared at Nitori for a few seconds, slightly bemused before taking his word. He removed Nitori’s hands from his lap and lifted his face to look up at him. His kouhai was speechless and too embarrassed to hold his stare for too long. Sousuke leaned forward once more and locked his lips in a sweet kiss meant to relax him. 

When Ai’s shoulders relaxed and he wasn’t as stiff, Sousuke brought his hand back between his legs and rubbed his hand softly over the swimming gear, obtaining a small squeal in reaction. Sousuke smiled against Nitori’s lips, he was just too cute. 

Trying to distract Nitori, he started nibbling on his lip. Nitori just seemed to melt and give in a bit more, enabling Sousuke to fondle Ai’s hardening member and obtain a few muffled moans. 

His swimming shorts were already too tight; it was sort of painful, causing a complaining groan from the smaller boy. Sousuke acted promptly and managed to make Nitori rise a little to slip off his swim shorts midway. 

Wasting no time, Sousuke’s fingers wrapped around his shaft, probing his size. Nitori whimpered and squirmed on his seat as his senpai started to stroke him slowly, making him twitch. When Sousuke reached the tip after a few strokes, he pressed down his thumb and felt him already starting to drip. 

“Ahh…” Nitori moaned forgetting about kissing back. 

Sousuke was delighted to hear him, although his back had started to hurt from the awkward position and the crouching down. Deciding not to extend the affair for too long, he renewed his ministrations, pumping his member up and down to the hilt and picking up the pace, keeping it fast and simple. 

As his movement quickened, Nitori’s moans came more often and louder. Sousuke started to kiss his jawline and down to his neck, nipping slightly at the skin without bruising it.

Ai just trembled in excitement feeling bolts of pleasure run through his body, keeping his eyes shut tightly and his hands clinging to Sousuke’s shirt. As pleasure built up on his lower stomach with the passing minutes, his back arched slightly and his mind started to blank. 

“S-Sousuke…” Nitori tried to warn him. 

However, Sousuke took it as a signal to hurry his pace, until the younger boy arched and moaned loudly while coming on his hand. 

“Ahh!” 

Ai was dazzled and remained still, enjoying the feeling spreading to his whole body. His mind emptied for several seconds as he recovered from the shocking sensation, leaving a tingling feeling behind. The tips of his fingers felt numb and his heart beat furiously against his chest as he tried to catch up his breath.

Soon enough, he was brought back to consciousness when Sousuke kissed his lips softly once more and got his hands off him, wiping his hand with a towel. 

“Think about it.” Sousuke said before Nitori had time to fluster and try to runaway. 

Sousuke knew Nitori was one to give it a lot of thought and needed time. He also knew the situation was impossibly embarrassing for Nitori the longer he stayed, so he turned around and made his way out, leaving one very bewildered Nitori behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Chapter 6:  
> "Take time to realize, that I am on your side. Didn't I tell you?"
> 
> NANANANANNANAAAA  
> Next chapter is gonna be the last ; v ;  
> And it might take longer to finish it--
> 
> I had never tried long fan fics before! I think I'm liking it, I might go for something even longer next time.  
> What do you like better? One-shots or long stories?
> 
> And don't forget to go check what happened with Rin in the other fanfic u v u <333


	7. Kidnap my Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should he take the chance or let it slip?

Think about it? What did he mean exactly? Well… he knew quite well what he meant, even if he hadn’t said it… but Nitori needed him to say it out loud. He didn’t like to assume and jump into conclusions that could lead to royally embarrassing himself if he was wrong. That gave him many possibilities to reconsider, and some weren’t as good. 

Before he noticed, a few weeks had gone by already, and Nitori was no closer to an answer. He found himself utterly confused, enough to make him dizzy as he lay on his bed. It all seemed so fantasy-like and a bit rushed, but the more he thought about it. the more it clicked. 

Sousuke had been there from the beginning, even if he hadn’t paid much attention to him. Sousuke had helped him when he was down thinking he wouldn’t be able to swim with Rin at the last relay, he supported him when things went wrong with his senpai, he coached his swimming and got him out of his depression. They started to hang out and they became friends rather quickly, even if Sousuke loved to tease him endlessly. But when did it turn to something else…? 

Nitori had definitely never thought about it for real. Sure, he admitted Sousuke was really handsome and charming, not to mention exceptionally good at swimming, but he had never thought Sousuke would look at him that way. He didn’t even imagine Sousuke would be like that, he had always thought that even though quiet, he was the type to have many girls behind him. Even knowing Sousuke was into guys, he would have deemed Rin more of a worthy candidate than himself. 

Did Sousuke like him? His heart fluttered, his stomach sank and he got flustered on his own. Crushing a pillow between his arms, he dug his face on the cloth while muffling a series of frustrated squeals. He rolled on top of his bed due to the overflowing emotions that were hard to contain. There was no doubt that Yamazaki boy had him on edge and he was unable to deny his attraction in his current state. He was certainly being affected by the situation. 

“Nitori-senpai?” a voice broke his concentration and a bright red head peaked from the side of the bed.

“Ah!” squealing, Nitori jumped in his place startled, sitting up right away almost hitting his head against the metal top bunk. “M-momo-kun! When did you get here?” 

Nitori had been so focused deep in thought that he didn’t notice when Momo arrived and walked into him squealing and tossing around. The embarrassing display he had appreciated made Nitori’s face blush deeply, while Momo just smirked wider in a mischievous way.

“I’ve been here long enough! You’ve been like this lately. Who’s the lucky one?” he asked, amused and straightforward. He always assumed such change in humor could only be the work of a girl. 

“W-what?” obviously flustered, Nitori stuttered. “It’s not like that!” 

“Yeah~ Right!” the redhead mused while dashing away from the bed just before a pillow was thrown at him.

“It’s ok! You don’t have to tell me! But it’s nice to see senpai is happier now”. Momo smiled being sincere, as he made his way to pick up a jacket lying on his desk to put on it. Nitori only followed him with his gaze, still flustered with a soft pink plastered covering his cheeks. “I’m going out! Really, though.” Momo repeated as he walked to the door and opened it to leave. “It’s good to see you are better.” He said before leaving and closing behind.

Nitori was left behind in complete silence and a bit of a shock. Kneeling on his bed with slightly widening eyes as he had come to notice and realize what Momo had said. It couldn’t be put any simpler. 

Nitori was happy. 

Sousuke had definitely become and important person in his life and a source of happiness to his complicated life. He had shown him kindness, support, help, advice, comfort and friendship. He had obtained all he had ever wanted from Rin, but from someone he didn’t even notice. If that wasn’t love, he didn’t know what it was.

His stomach suddenly started to flutter and his heart raced, his cheeks burning once more. Glancing at the clock, his heart skipped a beat and his stomach sank in anticipation. If he hurried, he could probably catch Sousuke awake and finally reply to him. Fists curled and courage gathered, Nitori crawled out of bed to put on some shoes before making his way out of the room and down the hallways. 

The room of the man in question wasn’t that far from his own, but somewhere in his trajectory all trace of courage started to flicker. He had rushed in the spur of the moment without stopping to reconsider how long it had taken him to come to a conclusion, whether Sousuke still wanted an answer or he had been offended for not looking out for him sooner. He didn’t even think if he would be alone in his dorm or if Rin would be present at the moment or anything. And so, when finally arriving at his door, he found himself frozen in place.

“Aiichirou?” Nitori shivered at the call of his name, he hadn’t heard Sousuke call his first name before. 

After a few seconds of hesitating in front of the dorm, Sousuke happened to open the door. He himself was about to go looking for Nitori, unable to sit and wait much longer. He seemed a bit surprised but pleased to find the younger boy standing right outside of his door. It couldn’t have been any better. 

“Come in,” Sousuke told him, moving to the side to allow the boy to walk into the dorm. First thing he noticed was Rin’s absence, at which he didn’t repair in much. 

Nitori walked inside and heard the door click when closed behind. He stood quietly and cautious in the room, without daring to face Sousuke; he was too nervous to say anything. Yamazaki noticed as much and decided not to pressure the little guy; instead, he walked round him to stand before him waiting patiently. 

“Y-yamazaki-senpai.” Nitori started, but stuttered. 

“Sousuke,” the elder corrected him.

“Sousuke,” he complied, blushing slightly while addressing his first name, his head low while fidgeting with his fingers. 

‘So cute,’ Sousuke couldn’t help but think. He allowed the boy to continue. 

“I... What did you mean…? I don’t…” Nitori hesitated, at which Sousuke frowned slightly but remained calm. However, Ai took notice and it only worked to make him back off a couple of steps. “I’m sorry… I just…”

Sousuke followed without a doubt, Nitori already cornering himself against the wall. A bit bold, he placed a hand to the wall behind him, more loudly than intended. Ai just seemed to curl into a ball of doubts, so Sousuke acted promptly and reached out for the boy, cupping his chin and urging him to raise his face.

Nitori held his stare, shaking slightly and blushing some more at his sudden approach. Trapped against the wall, he had nowhere to hide. 

“You know what I meant,” he stated clearly, not giving space for Nitori’s doubts. Being so close together, he could easily notice his slightly widening eyes and blushing cheeks. His lip trembled ever so slightly and he could see the hesitation dissolve in his eyes, replaced by a warming confidence that Sousuke was growing to admire. 

Still, Sousuke knew Nitori wanted to hear it in words from his own lips, so he decided to comply. His features warmed as he leaned forward to place his forehead against Nitori’s. He could feel his warmth steady breath tickling his lip hitch for a second with the sudden closeness. 

“Would you be my boyfriend?” he dropped the question fast and simple but full of emotion. For Nitori it was all he needed to piece his thoughts together and it didn’t take him long to reply. 

“Yes.” Nitori’s newfound conviction, powerful in his determined voice, was even surprising. Still, he blushed harder. “I’m sorry it took me so long, but yes, I would love to be your boyfriend,” Nitori rephrased. 

A tingling sensation ran through his body and made Ai feel weak at the knees, but he stood his ground. His heart warmed when he saw Sousuke’s mouth curl in the most charming smile he had seen so far, his heart starting to pound furiously against his chest in anticipation for what was to come next. 

As expected, Sousuke leaned further to seal the deal with a kiss, softly planting his lips upon Nitori’s. His silky lips kissed back and eyes fluttered closed to give into the moment, as they shared several seconds enjoying a lovely kiss that slowly started to scale levels, turning hotter. With Nitori brushing his lips in return it was hard for Sousuke to keep it low, finding himself nibbling on his new boyfriend’s lower lip. 

Nitori was less shy about it this time, soon parting his lips to lick at Yamazaki’s lips. granting him permission to deepen the kiss. Sousuke rose a hand to Nitori’s cheek that later traveled to the back of his neck while turning the kiss more passionate. He brushed his tongue against Ai’s and locked in a dance of moist and slick noises. 

“Ha…” Nitori panted for some air, breaking the kiss after a while. Sousuke’s kissing could be suffocating and he was left breathless, heated up. 

“Sorry…” Sousuke apologized, trying his best not to rush the situation; he didn’t want Nitori to feel uncomfortable. 

Surprisingly enough, Nitori took notice of it and remained quiet for several minutes. Sousuke stared back, trying to decipher what was going through his mind. He waited patiently for Nitori to say a word. 

Ai was conscious that they had just become a couple, and thinking about it made his stomach flutter every time. He was also aware that for most it would be too soon, but he had no problem with it, it was just something natural.

Sousuke was about to back off when he felt Nitori’s hand clinging to his arm. “It’s alright,” he assured him while tiptoeing to reach for another kiss. Sousuke couldn’t help but think about how adorable he was, having to do that with the height difference and his bold actions despite his reddened face. 

Leaning once more, Sousuke kissed him again but more passionately this time. Nitori kissed back tilting his head. A few seconds later, Sousuke was already sneaking his tongue through his lips into his mouth to explore some more. His hands lowered to take a hold of his waist, pulling him closer. Ai coiled his arms around Sousuke’s neck in response. 

“Ah!” Nitori let out small squeal in surprise when Sousuke lifted him from the floor, wrapping his arms around his waist. Sousuke chuckled at his cute reaction, making his way to the bed. Nitori snickered in return. 

Once left on the mattress, Sousuke hovered over Ai. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Sousuke commenced to leave a trail of butterfly kisses down his jaw and to his neck, at which Ai giggled, feeling his heart warm. It was a whole new thing, something completely different from anything he had or hadn’t felt before, and it was just the beginning. He could feel there was so much to discover _together._

This was genuine love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Chapter 7:  
> "Kidnap my heart, And take me with you, Make my dreams come true"
> 
> LIES-- well, this is basically the last chapter of this hurt/comfort story, but I'll be adding an extra chapter that happens later into their relationship cause I want more of them and so you can see how their relationship continued and so  
> all of the fluffy-- but smexy as well 'cause i love fluff and smut, so fluff and then fluffy smut cause i love it it and i can and i do what i want <333
> 
> I'll post all songs (and links) that inspired each chapter in this extra chapter as well u v u  
> thanks for reading!


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